Chapter 230: Cliff’s Decision

Going back a few seconds in time, right when Amir Mann led his wolf charge. 

At that moment, another gigantic clash occurred on the skies above. 

A large block of ice that covered the skies fell on the Titan. The Titan charged up as energies could be seen to have come from the Kraken to power the Titan as the Titan stabbed upwards. 

BOOM! 

More explosions that sent several electrical blasts and falling hail cascaded down the battlefield. The erupting electrical currents blasted out, creating the power known as Continuous Explosion. Through the combination of various sciences, a constant force of explosions could be retained in the skies above. By wielding that constant exploding force, the attacks that the Titan could create was earth-shaking. Yet the ice was coated with a strange desolation that could disintegrate the force. 

On the Kraken, remaining battles involving Seeker and the Empress, as well as the Fangs and the wolves all had to use various methods to resist the cataclysmic effects of the clashes. 

Suit focused on covering the team. He knew that if the surrounding chaos reached his team, they would die. Most of his attacks were focused on attacking the giant falling hails from the battle between the Horn and the Titan. 

His attention was fixed there, and in that short time, he failed to notice the miracles that Amir caused. In that short time, even Typical couldn't tell Suit to aim for the wolves. The one advantage that Typical thought they had, was now removed. 

The cold rain that was falling on the bodies of the wolves would steam up. Even the wolves which had not fully recovered their skulls had brains that were smoking. The virus forcibly awakened and injected the vast energy it could contain. Even the humans' bodies that did not previously turned as they already died before they could turn revived as werewolves. 

The numbers of the wolves had doubled, and the speed and agility of these wolves were incomparable. 

Yet the wolves were burning themselves to death. They wouldn't last more than twenty seconds as the entropy took in a terrifying toll. But all of this was more than enough for their charge. Though the wolves' bodies had lesser muscles as their recovery and healing focused on the brain, it didn't matter. 

It was as if the virus sacrificed to improve the brain allowing the wolves better moto control. However, the virus itself was also expending itself on this attack. The wolfs charged fast enough to survive the Road to Damascus and allow more of its companions and even Amir Mann to get through the valley of bullets unscathed. 

The Wolves had an Unlocked mind and had a swift reaction speed. It could even evade bullets as the muscle memory aided by the unlocked mind allowed them to move and avoid the bullets that would have pierced them. 

The deadly combination horrified the team. 

Typical's expression turned sour. There was no time to send out orders. 

"Fight with all you've got!" Typical shouted the only phrase he could say now. There was no time to plan, and trying to escape would be even deadlier as they would have to face the electric blasts and hail. Typical could only do his best and went all out, causing numerous needles to shower down or appear. Typical saw it once more. Death was approaching. This was what his Master had always said that would allow a Hero to be an Overcomer. 

Typical fought with his life on the line but knew that he wouldn't Overcome this. 

Trigger and Blast prepared to make various drastic explosive attacks. But since their gear was severely limited for this infiltration, the destructive weapons they could use was not enough to kill them all. Still, They prepared the weapons and set to self-destruct in a range that would also hurt them. At most, they would all die together. 

Gardo gathered as much energy as he could. All he could do now was resort to a desperate attack. Yet even then, a fierce and almost anticipating expression was worn on his face. 

Cliff stood at the back, but as the few seconds passed, he determined that they would all die. 

The attacks of Typical and the Road to Damascus was not enough to block all of them. It was certain that Amir Mann would breach the Road to Damascus. And once he does, Typical would no longer be able to hold him off like the last time. 

Typical was great wounded and with an entire arm slashed off, the energy that Typical could summon was weaker. 

Trigger and Blast invested so much in the Road to Damascus that they had two choices. Abandon the setup and bring out whatever attacks they could have, or do their best and maximize the Road. What was the right choice? For Cliff, who basically had stopped time, even he couldn't decide. 

Cliff had already activated his Daydreaming ability. But even then, he determined their fate was death. He could see clearly how the wolves ran and leaped in a weird position. 

Cliff had been bombarded by Arthur's mathematical teachings that he could do complex calculations, and with a quick glance, he could tell that more than half of the wolves would be able to enter the Road because of the way the wolves would jump. They jumped with a spinning motion that allowed them to evade more bullets. 

Although it was possible for Cliff to calculate the gun attacks and direct the attacks done by Trigger or Blast, it would require a lot of mathematical calculations. Cliff wouldn't have enough time to calculate what proper attacks they could do even just for the next second. He would run out of the time he had in this dream world by then. 

"It's not enough..." Cliff sighed and used the last remaining energy of his to enter his dream world. 

He gazed at the surrounding scene and looked around, hoping to see if he could use anything to fight. 

Gardo was charging and summoning all the energy that he could muster. But Cliff recalled how well Amir Mann could fight in close combat. The only chances where if Gardo would generate an explosion so powerful that everyone here would be killed. 

Cliff lamented and went to his memories as another scene formed before him. 

In this near-death state, Cliff managed to put his recent and most treasured memories to play into a scene. When death approached, Cliff abandoned the fight and escaped to his dream world. The scene in front of him changed. 

It was his date with Charm Novelty-Blastoise. 

She was pulling him around and asking him to treat her as repayment for all the meals she bought. 

"You have a soldier's salary? And you never even bothered to get me something?" Charm challenged. 

"I'm sorry! I didn't want you to know. But this should be water under the bridge, right?" 

"No! It's not! Who are you, really? Tell me the truth!" 

"What I said was true! Honestly, it was even worse than what I told you. I really did have a lot of stress. The first time you saw me crying was for real!" 

"So that means, all those other times, where you were crying, weren't?" 

"No-no! It had its truth, but I was forcing it to make me cry. I-I didn't know how else to spend time with you! You are a Royal! And I was a kid who had been selling drugs at school. What else could I do?" 

Charm tried to hide her blush but maintained a very nonchalant and almost strict expression. 

The real Cliff watched from a third-person perspective of the talk that he had with her. His Realm allowed him to see this memory from a different perspective. Everything within three meters around where Cliff stood could be seen. Cliff couldn't help but smile and look at Charm's expression. This was something he couldn't see back then because he dared not give Charm a straight look. But in his memories and aided by his dreams, he saw Charm's simple yet undiminishing beauty. 

"Well... What are you good at? You could have used the skills that made a soldier! I would have been impressed. I mean... A Regular becoming a soldier and even the bodyguard of Seeker Carlean? That's very impressive." 

"I'm not good at anything! I swear! I got dragged into this whole mess unwillingly! They promised me that I would be a part of this 'save the world club,' but I'm starting to see them as the real devils of this world!" Cliff argued. 

"And the only thing that I am good at... Or the one thing that I know I'm good at is daydreaming." 

"Daydreaming?" 

"Yeah. I don't expect you to understand. But that's all I have to offer. I'm not as smart as them. I'm not as strong as them. And I'm not as resourceful, charismatic, or even as good as a liar or a manipulator as they are!" 

Charm glanced at Cliff and hid the confusion in her face. She could tell that Cliff was very serious and had some insecurities and hardships along the way. She then recalled Seeker's attempts and actions earlier that night and realized just how much a schemer Seeker was. 

Charm realized that Cliff had a point. She, too, felt the same way as a Novelty-Blastoise. She was the weakest among all of her kind. Though she could have claimed her family's power and authority, she didn't as she believed herself to be weak. Charm sympathized with Cliff and wanted to do her best to comfort Cliff. She thought for a bit and finally asked a question. 

"Did you daydream about how you would cry before you talked with me?" 

Cliff was surprised. 

"Well. Yeah... I would try to imagine what I would have to say or how to react..." 

"Then I'd say you're really good at daydreaming. All our talks, all those moments you had with me. You got me rolling in the palm of your hand back then. You will pay for your crimes soon... but what I'm saying is, you were that good." Charm laughed. 

"So, I guess daydreaming isn't so useless after all?" 

"No! I don't think it is!" Charm laughed. 

"You know athletes and professionals go through a training process known as mental rehearsal. They see the image of the future in their mind and act accordingly. Golf players go through that routine mentally so that their actual hit would be accurate. Boxers go through the practice of shadowboxing. Races who can picture the entire race track in their head imagine themselves blazing through the field doing breaks turns, and so on, at the right second. Your use of words was rather insecure. Don't call it daydreaming! Call it mental rehearsal!" Charm explained in detail. 

"I'm sure you're exaggerating things. If I could be at least half as good or as useful as what you explained, I'd honestly be happy. But I'm not. I'm a Regular after all. A regular pulled into the world that I shouldn't be. Everything about this unfair world. How people should be divided into tiers such as Regulars, Rising, and Royals has its flaws. But the flaws our government have in this whole system is not being able to properly identify and place a guy or girl in the right Rank. Seeker should be a Royal. I don't know why he's in Rising. But as for me, I am rightfully in the Regular class." Cliff sighed. 

Charm frowned. 

"I'm not sure if you really think of yourself in that way, or you're trying to pull an Eeyore on me again!" Charm gave Cliff a suspicious look. 

"I didn't know about this Eeyore! I don't even read books! At least not until recently. I swear, I didn't know about that courtship style." 

"You don't know it, but you just do it! Please, Veil's Tacticians Guidelines to courtship are simply observations of what happens in the real world! A lot of guys play the pity card." 

"Well, why would I do that now? Now that you said Seeker ratted me out? Besides, what if it's real? What if I'm really insecure, and I know that my little daydreaming won't get me anywhere?" 

"I'm still here, aren't I?" Charm challenged. 

Cliff was stunned. 

Charm's face was blushing red, but she maintained an angry expression even though her face was twitching. 

Cliff was surprised at Charm's declaration and quickly turned away. 

What was shocking was that when he turned away, Charm's smile was extremely familiar! He didn't see it then, but now with his dream world's powers and his Realm, he managed to recreate the scene. When Cliff turned away, Charm glanced at Cliff's back and made a very charming smile. 

Cliff realized that that charming smile was exactly how Cliff envisioned it to be. 

"Mental rehearsal?! That was so accurate!" The smile became the key that created a chain reaction in Cliff's memories. 

Charm was right. She was still there. Although Cliff used the pity card, it was a very elaborate scheme. Only Cliff knew how long he would prepare his spiels and scripts to move Charm to shower Cliff with deep affection. 

His talks with Charm all ended up exactly as he planned. Was it possible that he truly had this gift? 

Cliff immediately forced his daydream to change. 

He was clenching his fist. He was hopeless, but now, a silver ray of hope broke through his dark skies. If he was going to die anyway, why not try something crazy? 

"So, that's what Seeker meant!" Cliff recalled another certain memory. 

"Typical knew he was going to die, but he continued fighting. He is a Hero. Gardo should be the same. But for me... I actually gave up! But I won't anymore! I have to be a hero! Isn't this why you kept pushing me to these battles, Seeker?" 

Cliff glanced at the battlefield before him. He only had a few seconds left in this dreamworld. 

He looked only at one thing. It was Amir Mann. 

"It's possible! It's definitely possible! I just need the courage to take the step forward!" Cliff knew what to do. If the attention of Typical, Trigger, and Blast were focused on dealing with the pack of wolves and not put Amir Mann into consideration, they could survive. 

"One-on-one! That's what I need to do to live! I have to fight him one-on-one and hold him off long enough!" Cliff clenched his fist. 

Mental rehearsal began. Various memories started to resurface. And the mystery of Cliff's Path showed itself. Cliff recalled several memories at once. 

"I have finally achieved it! It is possible! Those characters in those anime series I watched have paved the way for me! It is true! No wonder anime climax battles are twenty percent fight, and eighter percent memories of the past!" With the built-up courage, Cliff was ready to move. 

The last moments in his dream world ended. The remaining energy in Cliff's body was only sufficient for the battle. 

Cliff has completed his preparations. All that is left is to act.